Today 'Coupe-Decale' rules the African dancefloors in the Francphone world. In the mid-eighties artists like Moni Bile, Guy Lobe and Charlotte Mbango among others did the same with their New-Wave Makossa songs.
Although I already started to listen to African music in 1981 after a visit to Kenya, it took four more years until I bought my first Makossa record. It was Hoigen Ekwalla's album "Ndutu / Bila o diba" that made me a real Makossa-fan.
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| Hoigen Ekwalla (r) & Prince Eyango (l) |
Born on 15/6/1959 in Bonatéki a quarter in Douala as Ekwalla Mpouli Eugėne, Hoigen Ekwalla recorded his first album "Ndolam" in 1982. More records followed and in 1988 he received a "Disque d'Or" for his album "Chat botté". In 1994 he became Artist of the Year in Cameroon with the album "Mon amie". His latest album "Tendresse" was released in 2000. In 2003 Ekwalla became more and more frustrated by the lack of protection against piracy in Cameroon and became a business man. But since his real passion was music he never gave up music and in 2008 he was working on a new album. Unfortunately he was forced to stop this work because of health problems. After a two weeks stay in the Lanquintine Hospital in Douala he died on the 23th of October 2008. That day Cameroon lost a great singer and composer.
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